Warriors draft pick Alex Toohey draws comparisons to exciting young NBA star

Jeremy Kruger

Warriors draft pick Alex Toohey draws comparisons to exciting young NBA star image

Who did the Golden State Warriors draft on Thursday night? The Warriors traded down in the second round from the 41st pick to grab the 52nd and 59th picks from the Phoenix Suns. With the 52nd pick, the Warriors drafted Alex Toohey, a 6’8” wing from Australia. Let’s look at some of the Alex Toohey player comps to learn a little more about what the Warriors are adding to their roster. 

Warriors draft pick, Alex Toohey, is a Swiss Army knife. While not elite at any one skill, Toohey can do a little bit of everything. He has a decent shot, can playmake, and is a solid defender. 

NBA.com’s profile lists several Alex Toohey player comps. 

“If he develops his 3-point shot, Toohey could serve as a sharpshooter like Doug McDermott (6-foot-6, 225) or Max Strus (6-5, 215). If he works on his ballhandling and playmaking, Toohey’s game would look similar to fellow Aussie Josh Giddey (6-8, 216). If he gets stronger around the rim and evolves as a scorer, Toohey could blossom into a star player like Franz Wagner (6-10, 220).”

While all of those players would be helpful additions to the Warriors' roster, the last one is obviously the most tantalizing. 

Franz Wagner may go down as “the one that got away” for the Warriors. He was picked right after Jonathan Kuminga and is well on his way to NBA stardom. If the Warriors had gone with him instead of being enamored by the raw potential of Kuminga, a lot of their current problems could be solved. 

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That’s why this Alex Toohey player comp is so interesting. Sure, it may be a long shot, but if Toohey can become even 80% of what Wagner is, this Warriors draft pick could go down as one of their best in recent years. 

More NBA: Potential Kuminga sign-and-trade destination could bring back old Warriors hero

Jeremy Kruger

Jeremy is a freelance NBA writer with The Sporting News. His basketball career may have ended in high school, but his passion for the game never stopped. As a digital nomad, Jeremy travels the world writing about basketball and searching whatever continent he is on for the best pick-up games.